


Sunny Came Home

by Salmon_I



Series: To the Moon and Back [2]
Category: Roswell New Mexico (TV 2019)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Arguments, Confessions, Family, Friendship, Gen, Humor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-20
Updated: 2019-02-20
Packaged: 2019-11-01 04:13:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,565
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17860073
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Salmon_I/pseuds/Salmon_I
Summary: “Well, I'm upset.” Isobel spoke up.  Michael gave her a sarcastic look. “It was the only time in our entire lives you had a relationship and I didn't get to tease you at all. I feel deprived.”Max couldn't stop the laugh that burst forth at his sister's teasing.  He noted the grin that stole across Michael's face, no sign of any of his previous tension even as he shook his head in resignation.  “That’s why you're upset?”“It is. It's very serious.” Her tone belied her words and the feeling in the room, between the three of them, felt so light.  Lighter than it had in days. Perhaps lighter than it had in a decade. Max hated that he was going to be the one to bring it down.





	Sunny Came Home

Things weren't… great between them. Between the realization that Isobel had used her powers on Liz when they were teenagers, that Michael had not only known but agreed with her, and Isobel now knowing she was the one who killed the girls things were pretty much the polar opposite of okay. Max hadn't been happy Michael had revealed the truth to Isobel, especially without him present, but in some way the lack of secrets between them had felt like a new beginning.

It made Alex Manes’ revelation a bit more disturbing than it once might have been. Max could understand why Michael hadn't felt comfortable revealing the relationship to them back then. Especially with everything happening at the time Alex hinted the two had gotten together. But while not telling them about a high school relationship was understandable, not telling them about a current one? Alex's drunken anger and endless questions hinted that his feelings were not a thing of the past. His pointed comment about Isobel and the bagels had not only been an obvious hint he and Michael had been together recently, but a declaration of war against his suggestion that he had no reason to involve himself with Michael in the here and now.

A part of Max was thrilled to think Michael had reached out to someone other than he and Isobel. In all the years they'd known him, he'd never let someone else close. Alex had said Michael had relied on him, had confided in him - had made a point of the fact that he had been the one there the night Michael's hand had been broken. A night Michael had always refused to give them details about. If it had been anybody else, any time else, Max would have been happy for him.

There were several factors involved, though, that made this a potential problem.

Kyle knew his secret, and Max couldn't be certain of either his trustworthiness or his silence.

Liz still wanted answers. The fact Isobel couldn't remember what happened hadn't set well with her. That she wasn't demanding justice without all the facts was both good and bad, as they had no idea what would come next.

And Alex Manes was, first and foremost, a soldier.

It was the worst possible time, and the worst possible choice.

Max had asked Michael to meet him at the Evans’ family home where Isobel was staying. If he was going to talk to Michael about this, then he wanted her there. No more secrets. Not between them.

Michael pulled up to the house only seconds after he did. ”Hey, what's up? Is Iz okay?” He asked as he approached his car. He paused when he saw the black eye Alex had given him, and let out a low whistle. “Damn, someone really laid one on you. What were you doing last night?”

“Max!” Mrs Evans’ voice interrupted. Michael backed away awkwardly as Max got out of the car and went forward to hug his mother in greeting. “I figured you'd be by sooner or later when Isobel showed up.”

“C'mon, you make it sound like I never visit.” Max protested.

“You don't.” His mother said pointedly. She frowned as she pulled back and saw his black eye. “What happened?”

“Just work, don't worry about it.”

“As if that's possible.” She shook her head in resignation. She turned to Michael, and offered a slightly tense smile. “Michael, this is even more of a surprise. I don't think you've been by since Isobel's college graduation party.”

“Mrs. Evans’.” Michael nodded, keeping his distance from the woman.

“I heard about Foster Homestead Ranch. Sorry.”

“Me too.”

The awkwardness of the conversation was almost painful to watch. Max cleared his throat. “Why don't we head inside?”

“I was actually heading out.” His mother admitted. “But Isobel is in the kitchen and breakfast is still hot if either of you want any.”

“Sounds good.”

“Maybe try to come by when I'm home sometime?”

“Promise.”

“If only you meant it.” She leaned up to kiss his cheek.

When she turned to Michael he took two steps back as if afraid she might try to do the same to him, and gave her a nod. “Mrs. Evans.”

His mother gave the same sad smile she had been giving Michael since he'd first started coming to their home as a child and avoided her touch as if she had the plague. “See you again, Michael.”

As she headed to her car, Max gave a sigh and led the way inside. “Seriously? Could you have made that any more painful?”

“Since you knew when she was leaving you could have texted me a time and we could have avoided all that.” Michael reminded him.

“You've known the woman for over fifteen years, Michael. You could try not to act so awkward around her.”

“We must be talking about Michael and Mom.” Isobel's voice floated in from the kitchen.

“You two don't get it.” Michael complained. “I'm that friend.”

“What friend?” Max asked him.

“The one parents keep hoping their kids will outgrow and stop being friends with.”

“I'm pretty sure that's not the problem.” Max told him.

“I'm pretty sure it is “

They'd made it into the kitchen where Isobel had her back to them as she poured three mugs of coffee. “Or it could be the way you always back away from her like you're scared she might commit some heinous crime like hug you.”

Her words rang far too true, but Michael was rolling his eyes and heading toward the food on the stove. “She just doesn't like me.”

“She likes you just fine, she just- what the hell happened to you?” Isobel cut herself off when she turned and spotted his black eye.

“He told your Mom work. I'm still waiting for an explanation.” Michael replied, stuffing a piece of bacon into his mouth.

“It was work. A drunk and disorderly last night.”

“Darn. I must have missed a hell of a fight at the Wild Pony. Who was it? Hank?” He scooped a mouthful of eggs directly from the pan - ignoring the smack Isobel gave his arm for the act.

“Alex Manes.”

Michael choked on his eggs, and Isobel opened and closed her mouth several times before managing to get words out. “Airman Alex Manes? Jesse Manes’ son? The literal hometown hero?”

Michael managed to get the eggs down after hitting his chest a few times. “What was Alex d- Manes doing getting into a drunken fight at the Wild Pony?”

Isobel missed that Michael had almost used Alex's first name, but Max zeroed in on it. “He wasn't at the Wild Pony. He was just out on the street. I stopped to see if he was alright, but he wasn't happy to see me.”

“Why?” Isobel asked, as Michael took a drink of the coffee she had set beside him to help the eggs go down.

“Why don't you ask Michael why Alex Manes was acting like his jealous boyfriend?”

Michael promptly choked on the coffee and Isobel's head whipped between the two of them. She looked bewildered, but he could see her putting pieces together behind her eyes.

“What the heck did he say?” Michael finally managed to get out.

“Let's see: Guerin and I were inseparable back at the end of senior year, Evans. Guerin and I were still together when Liz dumped you for Kyle, Evans. Guerin was still talking to me after graduation unlike you and Liz, Evans.” Max listed off.

Michael seemed to be calming down as he spoke. “That doesn't really sound like jealous boyfriend material to me. More like he was baiting you about Liz.”

“I was the one Guerin relied on for support at the end of Senior year, Evans. I was the one who was there for him the night he got hurt, Evans. You were pretty much a failure of a best friend, Evans.” Max continued.

“The night Michael broke his hand? Manes was there for that?” Isobel jumped on the statement.

“How long a conversation was this?” Michael demanded.

“Why is Guerin wasting his life in Roswell, Evans? I think he's throwing his life away for you and your sister, Evans. Are you in a polysexual relationship with Guerin and your sister, Evans?”

Isobel stole the cup of coffee Michael had been pouring nail polish remover into and downed half the drink herself. Michael groaned as he ran a hand down his face. “Please tell me that was you bullshitting us?”

“I'm pretty sure his words were 'maybe you three have some messed up thing’ which is not long before he started throwing punches at my face.”

“Drunk Alex has no filter - that's great.”

“Why do people always go there?” Isobel complained.

“Because people are obsessed with sex, Isobel.”

“I try to avoid thinking of you two in those situations.”

“The feeling is more than mutual.”

“Can we focus back on the subject?” Max interrupted. It wasn't the first time someone had voiced the accusation. At this point in their lives it was more annoying than shocking whenever it was brought up.

“What was the subject?” Michael stole his spiked coffee back to take a gulp.

“C'mon…”. Max started, but trailed off. “You don't… did you think it would upset us?” He hadn't been certain, especially after Alex had questioned him on it, if it was something Michael had truly been worried about.

Michael shrugged. “Not really - even back then I don't think it ever crossed my mind that you'd be upset.”

“Well, I'm upset.” Isobel spoke up. Michael gave her a sarcastic look. “It was the only time in our entire lives you had a relationship and I didn't get to tease you at all. I feel deprived.”

Max couldn't stop the laugh that burst forth at his sister's teasing. He noted the grin that stole across Michael's face, no sign of any of his previous tension even as he shook his head in resignation. “That’s why you're upset?”

“It is. It's very serious.” Her tone belied her words and the feeling in the room, between the three of them, felt so light. Lighter than it had in days. Perhaps lighter than it had in a decade. Max hated that he was going to be the one to bring it down.

“Why did you never say anything?” He asked him.

“Because things went to shit.” Michael reminded him. “By the time I could even catch my breath enough to realize I was having a relationship and maybe I should tell you, Alex ran off and enlisted.”

“He said you had a fight about it.”

“Man, Drunk Alex has no filter and doesn't shut up.”

“He doesn't shut up about you, that's for sure… but, after Liz left - you were the one who got me up and moving again. Why didn't you tell me then? The argument over him enlisting had to have already happened at that point.”

“...it had.”

“Well, that seems like that would have been the perfect time to-”

“To what? Commiserate? There was no comparing it Max. Isobel used her powers to send Liz away, and I knew it. I sent Alex away.”

“But why did you send him away?” Isobel questioned. “I mean, you could have stayed in Roswell and-”

“Because the argument wasn't just about the enlistment, though that was certainly a huge part of it. Alex wanted me to leave with him. To go somewhere it would have been safer to be together than a sleepy, old fashioned town like Roswell. And at that point, there was no leaving - for any of us.”

It was in the way he said it, in what he wasn’t saying that Max realized the truth. “You didn't send Alex Manes away because you didn't want to leave with him. You sent him away because you did. You were in love with him.” Michael's silence after the statement said more than words could. “You're still in love with him.”

The happy mood was gone and Max watched as the openness in Michael's face shut down - an all too familiar wall coming down in his eyes and posture. He shrugged, downing the rest of the coffee. “Doesn't matter.” He told them.

“Of course it matters, Michael!” Isobel cried out.

“No. It doesn't.” Michael's tone danced between harsh and mocking. “Because Alex Manes isn't interested in being with me.”

“I have a black eye that suggests otherwise.” Max spoke up. “And he was asking questions still this morning. When I suggested to him whatever happened was ten years past and he had no reason to be poking into your business, he asked me to ask Isobel how the bagels were the other morning.”

“Are you kidding me?” Michael asked in frustration. Whether it was at him or Alex Manes, Max wasn't sure at that moment.

Isobel placed the reference instantly. “That explains the lack of shirt and sex hair.”

“It was bed hair.”

“It was sex hair.”

“We didn't have sex. “ Michael argued. Isobel's look spoke volumes. “That morning. You kinda interrupted.”

“More knowledge than I wanted. But you seriously didn't have to hide him away. He could have had a bagel.”

“I wasn't the one who wanted to hide us. Alex didn't want the town to know he was slumming it.”

“He said that?”

“It was implied.”

Isobel was putting together the pieces again. “But he sat with you at the drive in that night. I saw you. I thought you were renewing your high school friendship. Damn, how did I miss it all?”

“Cuz you didn't know I was into men, Isobel.”

“Yah, but now that I do… oh my god. Tyler Greenwood was a hookup of yours, wasn't he?”

“I thought you avoided thinking about us in those situations.”

“Just that with the blinders off that one was obvious. I'm also starting to think your taste in men sucks, Michael.”

“But that means you and Alex had a date as recent as the drive in.” Max broke in again.

Michael poured himself a fresh cup of coffee that he liberally dosed with nail polish remover. “And he made it clear that night that whatever sense of nostalgia brought him around was done and over with and we couldn't be together.”

“Are you sure you didn't misinterpret something?”

“Kinda hard to misinterpret the words 'This isn't going to work out. I can't be with a criminal’.” Michael offered before taking another gulp of coffee.

“Excuse him?” He could see the self-righteous aura radiating off his sister. She'd deny it if asked, but she had a protective streak over Michael a mile wide.

“Nothing in that statement is untrue.”

“You have minor infractions, most of which wouldn't even count on employment records.”

“Whatever you did, which I probably don't want to know about.” Max cut in.

“Probably best if you don't.” Michael agreed

“I don't think Manes’ feelings are as cut and dry as he told you. Not with how he acted last night or this morning.” The next part was the part he was truly dreading saying. The part that would hurt the most . “But, Michael, you can't be with him.”

“Excuse you?” Isobel's self righteous anger had a new target. And, yah, they'd be having a more private fight about this later when Michael wasn't around, he could sense it.

“He's a soldier. It's his literal job to turn you in if he finds out the truth.” Max focused on Michael, rather than his sister's wrath.

“Just because Liz broke your trust doesn't mean everyone in our lives would turn against us if the truth came out!” Isobel wasn't going to be ignored that easily. “Are you really so selfish-!”

“I don't think you have the right to be calling me selfish after-!”

“It's so typical of you to-!”

“Enough!” Michael slammed his hand onto the counter. The dishes skittered about as he lost control of his powers briefly. “...Max is right about Alex.”

“Michael…”. Isobel looked miserable.

“I don't want him to be. But I just need to take a look at our history to know that every time there's a bump in the road, Alex finds an excuse to walk away. He's not gonna choose me if he finds out. He'll be a good little soldier and run to tell Daddy.”

“I don't want to be right, Michael.” Max told him. “There is nothing I have ever wanted more for you than there to be someone besides Isobel and I that you could turn to. That you let in. If it was anyone else…”

“Nah, I learned a long time ago there was no such things as Happy Endings.” He shut down his attempt to apologize. Michael always kept up part of his defenses - even with them. “I survived sending Alex Manes away once before. I'll survive it again. If he does come around… I'll tell him where to stick his interest.”

Isobel had tears in her eyes as she reached out to take Michael's hand. He allowed the touch - her touch was the only one he ever seemed to accept freely. A part of Max wanted to reach out to take his hand as well, but experience told him his overture would be rejected. Sometimes he thought back to the memories of when they first emerged from the pods. The three of them holding onto each other as if their lives depended on that connection. When had that become broken? Was it truly beyond repair now? Too many lies and poor choices?

“But, since we're all here.” Michael forced them past the moment. “I think we should talk about who we can trust.”

“What do you mean?” Max asked him.

“You said it yourself, our secret is gonna spread. Maybe Liz will tell someone else. Maybe Kyle will. It will happen, though. If Liz tells someone else, it'll be someone who she trusts to have her back. And who knows who Valenti might tell. I haven't interacted with him lately but my memories of Kyle Valenti are hardly glowing.”

“Kyle and I have never gotten along. Our latest interactions are no exception.”. Max admitted. “But what's your point?”

“Right now Liz and Kyle have power over us cuz they know, and we don't have anyone in our corner. Maybe we should change that.”

“You're talking about revealing ourselves.”

“On our terms. To people who we all agree might have our backs.”

“You think I should tell Noah.” Isobel rejoined the conversation almost reluctantly.

“The guy is in love with you, Isobel.”

“Or he's in love with who he thinks I am.”

“I think he knows you a bit better than you give him credit for. He's put up with us,” he gestured to Max and himself, “for literally years. He's also a lawyer. He has connections - even outside of Roswell.”

It was a terrifying thought. Letting more people know. He could see Michael's point though. Others knowing would lessen the power Liz and Kyle had over them. People who could cover for them. “What do you think?” Max asked Isobel. Noah was her husband. In the end, she had both the most to gain and lose depending on how it went.

“I'd be lying if I said a part of me isn’t longing for him to finally know. And I'd be lying if I didn’t say a part of me is terrified of him knowing.” She was clinging tightly to Michael's hand now, knuckles turning white.

“If you can't, it's okay.”

“Is it? We do need someone in our corner.”

“Who else could we tell?”

“What about Mom?”

“Oh, I'm not touching that one with a ten foot pole.” Michael sat back, finally breaking the hold she had on his hand.

“I thought we were deciding together.” Isobel pointed out.

“You and Max can sort that one out.”

“I don't know.” Max admitted.

“She raised us. We weren't always subtle. She had to have noticed things.”

“People ignore what they can't explain. They make excuses.”

“Or maybe she was waiting for us to say something.”

“I just don't know, Isobel.”

“So, who else?”

“What about Cam?” Michael suggested.

“Max's hook up girl? Really?” Isobel gave him a look.

“She's also my partner. Has been for two years.” Max reminded her.

“She’s tough, and chill.” Michael reminded her. “And having someone else on the police force on our side couldn't hurt.”

“I'm not sure I'm on board with Cam knowing.” Isobel crossed her arms.

“Who else?” Max asked. The silence that followed was telling.

“Twenty years in this town and that's the best list we can come up with.” Michael spoke up. “That’s pretty pathetic.”

Max sadly couldn't disagree. “It's a start. Let's give it a day or two. Think about it. Maybe we'll come up with more.”

“Can we meet somewhere else, please? Avoid more awkward encounters with your mom?”

“If she ends up being one of the ones we let know, you'll be having more frequent awkward encounters with her.” Isobel pointed out.

“There's something to look forward to.”

Max finally picked up the coffee Isobel had poured for him earlier. Their connection was still there. A bit ragged and frayed, perhaps even a bit singed, but definitely still binding them to each other. He just had to have faith nothing would ever change that.

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> I didn’t intend to continue this when I wrote it, but I have all these thoughts about exploring various interactions and I can’t seem to help myself.
> 
> While I adore the thought of Michael telling Alex the truth, I also feel his lack of faith in people in general could easily sway him against the idea, especially if someone else gave him a reason to doubt. Max, not having an understanding of Alex's history and a lack of interactions on a personal level, would base his opinion on what Alex is over who he is.
> 
> I am hoping for Isobel and Rosa's relationship to have been romantic.  I feel like there's definitely hints that's the case, and I’m really hoping to see that explored. I will admit to having a soft spot for Noah, though.  Isobel and Jesse didn't get their Happy Ending in the old series, so I'm kinda rooting for Isobel and Noah this time.


End file.
